Picker



C. W. YELM `lIuly 20, 1943.

PICKER Filed Oct. 16, 1941 F/g. a.

Pfg?

Char/5 I/I/d/fer )V6/H7,

INVENTOR.

ATTO NEY Patented July 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PICKER,

Charles Walter Yelm,

The Gates Rubber Denver, Colo., assignor to Company, Denver, Colo., a

' longer life and corporation of Colorado Application October 16, 1941, Serial No. 415,175

` 1 claim. (ci. sgism This pickers looms. I Y

Every power operated loom is equipped with automatic means for transferring theY shuttle through the shed of the warp and this means comprises interconnected picker stalls to each of which is secured a picker that receives the shuttle and imparts to it a sufficient speed or momentum to return it to the opposite side of the loom.

Since shuttles are quite heavy and are equipped with conical steel points, the continuous stopping and acceleration of shuttles during the weaving operation imposes pickers and many inventions have heretofore been made for the purpose of improving the pick er constructions to the end that they will have a operate more satisfactorily than invention relates to improvements. in of the type employed in connection with at present.

It is customary to provide pickers withV an elastic or resilient body having an opening for the reception of Vthe conical shuttle end as such resilient bodies, normally constructed from rubber composition or rubberized fabric, cushion the blow due to the stopping of the shuttles.

It is the objectof this invention to produce a picker constructed in a design that a resilient picker body can readily be inserted in acup-like holder and be readily part of metal and o-f such an enormous strain on `the lied form of means for securing the picker body in place;

Figure 5 is a side elevation similar to that shown in Figure 2, and shows a slightly modified means fors'eeuring the picker to the picker staff;

Figure 6 is a top plan view taken along line 6-S, Figure 5;

Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a side elevation and thefront elevation of the replaceable picker body showing the same detached from the holder;

Figure 9 is a side elevation showing a slightly modified form; and

Figure l0 is a section taken' on line l-Il, Figure 9. I

In the drawing reference numeral I0 designates: a floor or other base on which a power operated loom is supported. Reference I l designates the lower end of Aa loom member or support while reference numeral I3 designates'a shuttle receiv ing shelf of which one is positioned on each side of the loom. The warp` has been designated by reference numeral I4, while the picker stad Vhas been designated by reference numeral I5.` A' sweep `I connects the picker staffs on opposite sides ofthe loom and this fis operatedby suitable cams not shown. The lower end of the picker staff is mounted on a rocker I'Isupported on the removed therefrom when vbadly worn. Such 30 outer end of. bracket I3 in such a manner as to pickers can be permanently attached to the pickimpart to the upper'end a straight line motion er stairs and when the elastic body is worn, it can during operation. The shuttle has been desigbe removed and replaced by a new one and in this way the adjustment o-f the picker is not interfered with and the substitution of a new for a worn picker body can be effected quickly whenever this becomes necessary,

In order to explain the invention more clearly so that its .construction and advantages can be more readily understood, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated in its` preferred form, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of a power operated loom and showing the i shuttle in operative engagement with the picker;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of my improved picker, the position of the picker stall relative to the picker being indicated by broken lines;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the pickerv shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken ure 3;

Figure 4a, Vis al fragmentary section similar toV that shown in Figure 4 and shows a slightly modiby reference numeral ZIJ.

nated by reference numeral I9 and the picker Referring now to Figures l, 2, 3 and 4, it will be seen that the picker which forms the subject of this invention, consists of a frusto-conical cup-like holder 2| which may be formed from soit steel or some other suitable metal. In the drawthe interconnecting end portion 23. The sides 22 are spaced apart a proper distance to receive between them the picker staff I5 and are provided with three or more holes for the reception `of bolts 24 by means of which the picker is secured to the picker staff. Positioned within theholder is a picker body 25 which is constructed of suitably compounded rubber composition either free from fiber or mixed with cotton fiber in any desired degree. It may also be formed from rubberized fabric or other material found to be suitable for this purpose. The body 25 is made of the proper size and shape to nt the interior of the holder and, in the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 4, is provided on diametrically opposite sides with depressions E into which the inwardly extending anchoring lugs 21 project as shown. The depressions 26 and the lugs 21 serve to position the body rotarily relative to the cup and to hold it in position during operation. The front end of the picker body has a depression 28 for the reception of the pointed end of the shuttle. When the picker body has been Worn to such an extent that replacement seems to be indicated, a tool, such as a screw driver or similar tool indicated by reference numeral 29 in Figure 3, is inserted into the opening 30 provided for this purpose in the wall of the holder. The wedging action of this tool serves to move the body outwardly so that it may be entirely removed from the holder and provide space for the replacement body.

In the construction shown in Figures 2 to 4, the lugs 21 are formed by bending inwardly the metal between two parallel slits 3l.

In Figure 4a a slightly different form of holding means has been shown and in this modification the tongue 21 has been cut entirely loose at its inner end and the cut end 32 bent inwardly. End 32 can be forced into the body 25 and serves to anchor the same against removal. When the body 25 is to be removed an instrument is inserted into the concave portion 33 and the tongue moved outwardly after which the body is Vpried loose by means of the tool 29 already referred to.

In Figures 9 and 10 another means is shown for securing the picker body in the holder. The wall of the holder is provided with two openings 38 and the body 25 with correspondingly positioned tapered lugs 39 that interlock with the walls of the openings in the manner shown in Figure 10. When the body is to be removed the lugs are forced inwardly by means of a suitable tool after which the body 25 is pried loose as above explained. Attention is called to the plate 23a which extends above and below the holder and which is provided with holes for screws or bolts by means of which it is attached to the front of the picker staff. The sides 22 can be dispensed with when plate 23a is used. The specific construction of the cup-like holder may vary from that shown as long as it performs the same function.

Particular attention is directed to Figure and to the specific shape of the lugs 39. It will be observed that the side towards the rear, or the left in Figure 10, tapers gradually -whereas the other side makes an angle of slightly more than ninety degrees with the surface of the picker body. The long rearward taper facilitates insertion and the short slightly inclined outer end of the lugs permit the lugs to engage the outer walls of the openings and to automatically adjust themselves so that they will always be in engagement with the opening wall; this assures that the resilient bodies will always be firmly held in position.

The body 25 is constructed of such a size that it will require considerable force to insert it in the holder and therefore when it is once in place,

it will remain in that position until it is to be replaced by another.

Since the picker body 25 is formed from a rubber composition or a rubber containing material vulcanized to the desired hardness, it will tend to expand transversely as Well as compress axially when accelerating the shuttle. Due to the outwardly flaring recess the force that tends to expand the picker body will be resolved by the inclined wall into a radial and an axial component, the latter serving to resist axial compression.

In the drawing the angular inclination of the holder wall is less than the angle of repose between the rubber composition and metal and the body 25 will therefore remain in place in the absence of anchoring means. When the angle of the co-nical surfaces is greater than the angle of repose anchoring means must be employed.

In Figures 5 and 6 I have shown a slightly modied means for securing the holder to the picker staff. In this modification the sides have been designated by reference numeral 22a and extend to the rear of the picker staif where they are reversely bent, each one forming an S-like section whose convex portions have been indicated in Figure 6 by reference numerals 34 and 35. The extreme ends 26 are provided With openings for the clamping screws 31. It is apparent that with a construction like that shown in Figure 6, the screws 31 serve not only to move the sides 22a towards each other, but they also Serve to move the convex portions 35 towards the right when viewed as in Figure 6 and thus make a clamping contact with the picker staff both along its sides and edges.

AIt is apparent that other means may be devised for securing the picker to the picker stan' and the three means shown and described herein are merely illustrative of means for this purpose and are not to be considered as in any way limiting the invention to such means to any greater extent than necessary by the scope of the claim and the state of the prior art.

From the above description it will be apparent that a picker lconstructed in accordance with this invention can be adjusted once for all on the picker stai and when the picker body is worn. it can be quickly replaced by a new one which will occupy exactly the same position relative to the shuttle and shuttle table and will therefore obviate the necessity of making adjustments such as are necessary when the entire picker is removed and replaced by another as is now quite generally done.

By means of the construction shown on the drawing and described herein, the cost of maintaining the pickers in rst class condition is greatly reduced because it merely involves the replacement of the worn body 25 by a new picker body and since these picker bodies are reeniorced by the substantially circular wall of the holder, they do not break down in the way now so common with pickers constructed of rubberized fabric or leather.

Since the part of the picker that is really subjected to the greatest strains comprises only a small portion of the picker as a whole, it is evi dent that the present practice of removing the entire picker and replacing it with a new one is wasteful of material and involves an unnecessary expenditure as compared with the picker that forms the subject of this invention in which the part that receives the greatest strains is made readily removable and replaceable.

In the drawing three specically different means have been shown for attaching the holder to the stai and other means may no doubt be devised; it is therefore evident that any suitable means must be included in .this invention.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

A picker comprising, in combination a cup-like holder for the reception of a picker body, and

means extending from the closed end of the holder for securing it to a picker staff, said means comprising two spaced, substantially parallel plates having their ends bent towards each other and substantially S-shape, the extreme ends being adjacent the center and provided With openings for ak bolt.

CHARLES WALTER YELM. 

